The Garden of Angels, by David Hewson, is set in Venice and begins during the summer of 1999, where 15-year-old Nico is suspended from school for a week after he fails to come to the rescue of a Jewish classmate being attacked by bullies. He seeks solace with his beloved grandfather Paolo, who is dying. When Paolo presents him with a yellowing manuscript, and tells Nico that it's a history lesson that he must keep secret from his father, the teenager is intrigued. But as he starts to read, he sees Paolo's story unfold during the Nazi occupation of Venice in 1943, Nico begins to wonder if he ever really knew his grandfather at all. Part of the renowned weaving family of "House of Uccello", Paolo's parents are killed in a bombing raid and he is trying, with the only employee left, to complete the final order his father had obtained - even though it is from someone he despises. When he is approached to help hide a Jewish brother and sister, he agrees, but it is a decision that brings life-changing consequences. This is a powerful and moving story of family, love and desperation during a dark period in Italian history where survival of the body often went hand in hand with a battle for the soul. Filled with drama, twists and turns and, as time goes on, a sense of foreboding, this is a gripping thriller as well as a family drama. It is also thought provoking and brings a new (to me) perspective of life in Italy during the second world war. Beautifully narrated by Richard Armitage, I felt completely immersed in the lives of each character and didn't want the book to end. But, of course, it did! Highly recommended.
My STAR rating: FIVE
Length: 320 print pages.
Price I paid: £2.98.
Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.
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